Clueless learner drivers around the country crash and injure one driving instructor every three days, according to figures from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
Although being an instructor mightn’t seem like the most dangerous job in the world, in total 120 instructors and examiners have been hurt taking nervous drivers out on Britain’s roads last year.
Of these, 42 needed to be hospitalised and 13 required immediate first aid, with the remaining 65 escaping relatively unscathed and managing to self-treat their injuries.
Despite the fact that it was the unlucky instructors bearing the brunt of the injuries, 35 learner drivers and six pedestrians were also hurt, though luckily there have been no fatalities.
The DVSA’s figures also reveal that a total of 501 people have crashed their cars during their driving test in the past year, though almost half were caused by other drivers and not the candidates.
It’s thought that the number of people injured during driving tests and lessons may be higher than recorded, as they would only be flagged up if reported to DVSA staff.
The agency said: “DVSA incident rates for practical car driving tests have consistently been between 0.3 and 0.5 incidents per 1,000 tests. These figures remain consistent in recent years.”
The data shows that out of the number of test candidates who have failed, a grand total of 13 particularly terrible drivers sat and failed their driving tests for the 30th time.
Even still, a spokesperson for the AA said that they support learners who consistently fail their tests multiple times and who make mistakes for “staying within the system”.
“We applaud people who have failed the test multiple times, because although their driving may not be great they are still doggedly staying within the system rather than the one in 20 drivers who are going around uninsured,” they said.
“These disqualified drivers or those that can't be bothered to pass the test are the real menaces on our roads.”
